Weather Blamed for Rte. 114 Roundabout Delay

Although the roundabout won't be finished by Memorial Day weekend, installation of splitter islands and a curb around the center circle will reduce the number of safety barrels there.

The roundabout being constructed at the intersection of Route 114 and Buell and Toilsome Lanes in East Hampton Village will not be finished by Memorial Day weekend as planned, Drew Bennett, the engineer overseeing the project, informed the village board on May 9.

In February, Mr. Bennett had predicted that the roundabout would be completed by May 21, just in time for the onslaught of traffic the Memorial Day weekend would bring to the East End. However, in a letter updating the board on the status of the project, he stated that bad weather and a winter that lingered long into March had pushed the project back by at least four or five weeks.

Still, Mr. Bennett said the site, which is currently chock-a-block with construction material, signs, and barriers marking off where crews are at work, will become easier to navigate before the holiday weekend thanks to the installation of splitter islands and a curb around the center circle, which he said would be finished by next Thursday.

“This will reduce the orange safety barrel population on the site by about 50 percent and will improve circulation,” he wrote.

Although missing the Memorial Day deadline is a setback, Becky Molinaro Hansen, the village administrator, said the main goal now is to get the roundabout finished prior to June 22, “when school gets out and the season really goes into full swing.” To reach that deadline, Ms. Hansen said that crews would be toiling five days a week, but if traffic snarls become a problem the village will reduce the number of workdays to ease congestion.

In his letter, Mr. Bennett estimated that the balance of the work remaining on the center island would be completed by June 21, although finishing the sidewalks and curbs in the area may take longer. “This will be a challenging deadline for this piece of work,” he wrote. “Therefore, this target completion date could shift out.”